Jordanian English Language Teachers' Use of the Teacher's Book

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out the extent of using the teacher's book by ninth grade teachers in their classroom teaching and to find out the reasons behind not or lack of using it. The results of this study could be beneficial for the Jordanian Ministry of Education as it may design extra pre-and in- service training programs on how to use the teacher's book properly. An observation checklist that was arranged under a number of dimensions, was designed by the researchers and used to observe 20 female and male ninth grade teachers while teaching Action Pack Nine material. The study used the descriptive design. More than 60 classroom periods were observed, three periods at least for each teacher and the forms were filled in with ticks and notes. The collected data were analyzed using proper statistical measures and conclusions were reached based on this analysis. Furthermore, the teachers were interviewed using a set of questions that focus on the reasons of not using or lack of using the teacher's book. Their responses were analyzed and common themes were drawn. The findings of the study revealed that EFL Jordanian teachers did not use the teacher's book effectively. The findings also revealed that long experience, lack of time, students' level and quality, the lack of training and the lack of classroom facilities were behind not or the lack of the use of the teacher's book. The study ended with a number of recommendations for further research.